Grain management is essential for farmers and agricultural businesses. It is a challenging industry, with constantly fluctuating prices and high weather dependencies. An effective grain management system that helps farmers access all the information in one place.

Grain Management Systems (GMS) influence storage conditions, cut down losses, and boost productivity in handling grain inventory. This software monitors and regulates different parts of grain storage, such as moisture, temperature, pest control, inventory tracking, and more.

In this blog, we’ll discuss grain storage management, the advantages of grain inventory software, and more.

Why is Grain Storage Management important?

Grain management software stores grains manages inventory, and performs other related tasks in the grain industry. The software offers real-time information to make data-driven decisions, removing guesswork from inventory decision-making.

Grain inventory software influences the quality and value of harvested crops, maintaining farmers’ food security and economic stability. 

Challenges that Grain Management System overcomes

Check out the key challenges associated with grain storage that a Grain Management System (GMS) helps to address:

• Gain management systems prevent quality deterioration. After harvesting, grains have the tendency to breathe, which may lead to changes in temperature and moisture that are harmful to grain quality. Having a grain management system helps control and monitor these factors.
• Poor storage conditions result in spoilage, low market value, and pest infestation. Thus, grain management software helps minimize losses, leading to better financial outcomes. The software helps track market prices, inventory levels, and storage costs, letting farmers make data-driven decisions to maximize their profits. Moreover, if farmers maintain grain quality, they can minimize such losses.
• When food is not stored properly, harmful tiny organisms like fungi and molds can grow. These create toxins that can harm the health of animals and people. Having a grain management system helps keep food safe. It does this by monitoring storage conditions and controlling pests. This stops hot spots and moisture from developing.

 Components of an Effective Grain Management System

The Grain Management System (GMS) consists of several crucial components that work in tandem to preserve grain quality during storage. These elements are essential in maintaining grain quality, reducing losses, and increasing profits for farmers and agricultural businesses.

Temperature and moisture monitoring

Temperature and moisture levels affect grain quality in storage. A strong GMS uses advanced systems to watch these factors all the time. Digital sensors, which can fit on any bin, show grain conditions across the storage area and warn farmers about problems like hot spots or emerging quality issues.

Keeping a constant eye on temperature and moisture levels is key to spot early signs of grain going bad. When stored crops spoil, they release heat, water, and carbon dioxide. Farmers can stop quality problems by watching these factors before they get worse.

Software for tracking grain and managing grain inventory greatly impacts this process. These tools help storage facility managers monitor the condition of their stored grain, allowing them to make smart choices about when to step in or sell their grain.

Automated aeration control

Aeration plays a key role in an effective Grain Management System. It pushes air through stored grain, which helps control temperature and relative humidity. Smart aeration control systems use temperature and humidity sensor data to determine the best times to run fans.

Controlling aeration ensures fans run when the air is right to meet goals. This approach reduces energy costs and helps keep grain in the best shape. Some systems even let farmers set targets and turn on fans to treat grain when the air is just right.

Keeping track of and managing inventory.

To manage grain well, you must keep track of and handle inventory. Software that manages grain inventory helps farmers and people who run storage facilities keep good records of how much grain they have, what’s going in and out, and how much might be wasted.

A thorough inventory tracking system gives real-time updates on grain amounts and qualities kept in different bins or facilities. This data is essential for deciding when to sell grain, mixing various batches to meet specific quality needs, and making the best use of storage space.

High-end grain inventory management software often includes forecasting and analytics features. These tools help predict future inventory needs, ensuring farmers don’t have too much or too little stock. They also help adapt to market changes and seasonal shifts, allowing quicker responses to changes in demand or pricing.

By implementing these key elements, a Grain Management System can boost the productivity and success of grain storage operations. It helps maintain high grain quality, reduce losses, and, ultimately, increase farming businesses’ profits and achievements.

Setting Up Remote Monitoring and Control

Remote monitoring and control are key to a good Grain Management System (GMS). These tools let farmers and storage managers monitor their grain stock from anywhere at any time. By adding remote features, users can act fast when problems arise, improve storage conditions, and make smart choices about their grain stock.

Features to Look for in Grain Management Software

The grain management system is a modern tool for farmers to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and make informed decisions. Therefore, having the right grain management software helps in business productivity and profitability. Here are the features mentioned below:

Automated Grain Tracking and Traceability: This feature lets farmers monitor the grain from receipt to delivery, such as real-time data on the location of grain, quantity, quality, etc., to maintain transparency throughout the supply chain. Thus, it will help increase operation efficiency, decrease losses, and meet regulatory compliance requirements.

Financial Management and Accounting Tools: An effective grain management system provides tools to manage finances and do accounting. These help your business track what you spend, what you earn, and how much profit you make.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM):  Grain management system needs CRM features. These improve customer interaction and make operations run more efficiently. With CRM, clients can view contracts, invoices, and commodity balances 24/7. This reduces administrative tasks and improves communication efficiency. Additionally, the software should facilitate collaboration with farmers, strengthening relationships throughout the supply chain. 

Scalability and Customization Options: Grain management software must have scalability and customization options to grow your business. Look for software that offers flexible tools to build custom grain marketing strategies. These tools should allow you to set prices and manage exposure when selling grain. Some advanced systems provide features like automated pricing within specified time windows and price accelerator options. Additionally, seek software that enables easy integration of new data sources and the creation of custom reports. This allows you to accommodate the reporting needs of different departments or clients. 

Conclusion

Grain management software influences today’s farming methods, giving farmers valuable tools to simplify operations and increase profits. By offering up-to-date information on stock levels, market rates, and crop health, these systems allow farmers to choose when to plant, harvest, and sell their crops. Adding this software to farm management boosts productivity and improves the ability to track products and follow industry rules, leading to better money outcomes.

Looking ahead, grain management software’s importance in farming is going to keep growing. It can bring together complex tasks, from keeping track of supplies to managing customer relationships. This makes it a vital tool for farms, no matter their size. When farmers use these new technologies, they can stay on top of things in a farming world that’s constantly changing. This helps them keep their farms competitive and able to last for a long time. Using grain management software isn’t just popular right now. It’s a needed step to face the challenges of modern farming.

In our travels, it’s always fascinating to discover the unique capabilities and operations of different farmers. One such impressive operation is run by Courtney, her father Alan, and the team at Commodity Ag in Albany. With their world-class facility, Commodity Ag not only manages an outstanding farming, storage, logistics, and port operation but also manufactures cutting-edge equipment, including grain tippers, side tippers, and most notably, the Seed Storm—a tool described as a Flexi-Coil bar on steroids. The company is called Duraquip, and we had the chance to see this bar at their facility in Gnowangerup. It is truly something to behold—it may just be the only bar you’ll ever need. Their expertise in both farming and manufacturing is remarkable, setting them apart as leaders in the industry.

AgriChain is excited to partner with Commodity Ag to bring even greater efficiencies to their already impressive operations. The AgriChain platform will be implemented to track all of their grain from paddock to storage and export, ensuring complete visibility and transparency throughout the entire supply chain. This will enable Commodity Ag to streamline their operations and have real-time data at their fingertips, making it easier to manage everything from planting to harvesting and transportation.

In addition to grain tracking, AgriChain will also manage all of Commodity Ag’s trucking and fertiliser operations, further automating and optimising their logistics. With the platform’s advanced capabilities, the team will be able to coordinate trucking schedules, track vehicle movements, and monitor fertiliser applications, all in one seamless system. This will not only improve operational efficiency but also help reduce costs and increase overall productivity.

We are thrilled to be working with the Commodity Ag team, who are not only pioneers in the farming and logistics space but also pushing the boundaries of agricultural equipment manufacturing. Their Seed Storm, a revolutionary advancement in seeding technology, along with their Tornado grain bin, are just a couple of examples of how Commodity Ag is changing the landscape of farming, both in Australia and globally.

At AgriChain, we love seeing companies that are pushing the boundaries and driving the industry forward. The fact that Commodity Ag is now one of our customers is just icing on the cake.

In a groundbreaking development for Western Australia’s grain industry, Commodity Ag has successfully completed the sale of a significant wheat cargo to Tasman Agri, bound for Surabaya Indonesia. Central to this success, is the innovative software that Commodity Ag utilised- AgriChain, which facilitated seamless supply chain operations from paddock to plate.

AgriChain has emerged as the premier software solution for agricultural supply chain management, providing end-to-end automation and integration. For Commodity Ag, this meant unparalleled efficiency and transparency throughout their operations. The use of AgriChain allowed Commodity Ag and Tasman Agri  to streamline their processes, ensuring that every step, from the initial cultivation to the final delivery, was meticulously managed and monitored.

The partnership between Commodity Ag and Tasman Agri, who both utilise AgriChain, exemplifies the power of full automation in the grain industry. By leveraging AgriChain’s comprehensive suite of tools, such as live blending and spec average updates on loading, Commodity Ag achieved seamless loading of their vessel. 

“ AgriChain allowed our terminal operators to track the quality averages across our hatches in real time, as well as help us blend out of our uprights, which was excellent! ” said Scott Merson from Sunrise Commodities.

One of the standout benefits of using AgriChain is its ability to provide comprehensive traceability, extending all the way to the destination port. For the wheat cargo sold to Tasman Agri, this meant that every step of the journey was tracked and documented, ensuring complete transparency and accountability. This level of traceability is crucial in today’s market, where consumers and regulators alike demand stringent standards of food safety and quality.

“A bespoke solution was constructed within 48 hours after some changes meant a new system needed to be adopted. The Agrichain team could not have been more helpful and were critical to the success of this project.” Scott Merson from Sunrise Commodities commented.

As the industry continues to evolve, AgriChain stands out as the software of choice, empowering businesses to achieve seamless operations and meet the highest standards of excellence.

So what’s next for AgriChain? CEO Caile Ditterich explains – “We are busy, almost too busy at times, but it’s all worth it. We have an excellent platform that caters to most areas of the ag supply chain and now is the time to refine our product and improve what we have built to date”. 

With OTC swaps, Futures and Forex Contracts set for release later this year and their new automatic weighbridge software having an excellent impact, it’s fair to say that the team at AgriChain are in for a busy harvest.

See the full story here: https://www.graincentral.com/news/commodity-ag-wheat-cargo-heralds-new-era-for-wa/

Learn more about AgriChain’s offering here: agrichain.com

Ravensworth Agriculture, the powerhouse behind the large-scale Ravensworth Feedlot in Hay, is taking a significant step forward by partnering with AgriChain. This move aims to streamline their contracting, procurement, inventory, and supply chain compliance processes across all inbound and outbound commodities and livestock. As part of a major redevelopment and modernisation effort, Ravensworth Ag is heavily investing in automation and systems to make their feedlot a preferred destination for cattle producers requiring custom feeding services and freight providers.

The Ravensworth team expressed: “Quality improvement and environmental stewardship are at the heart of everything we do. AgriChain drastically improves our visibility with feed and livestock suppliers which helps calculate the environmental cost of our supply chain, which is something that matters to us.”

Skye Freshwater of AgriChain explained: “AgriChain is not a feedlot management program, just as a feedlot management system is not a livestock and commodities contracting and supply chain platform. The two are vastly different and need to be treated as such. The project at Ravensworth, will see us integrate with their current feedlot platform to ensure that they get the best of both worlds.”

AgriChain is revolutionising the commodities and livestock industry with its fully auditable supply chain traceability and digital vendor declarations.
“This platform will give Ravensworth Ag unprecedented insights into their supply chain’s environmental impact, allowing them to track, measure, and ultimately improve their practices.” Caile Ditterich – AgriChain CEO

Ravensworth Ag’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond this partnership. They are actively involved in various initiatives to promote environmental stewardship and sustainable practices in the agriculture industry.

Through collaborations with innovative organisations and environmental agencies, Ravensworth Ag is working to reduce emissions, enhance resource efficiency, and protect biodiversity. These efforts underscore their dedication to setting new standards for sustainability in agribusiness while maintaining a focus on innovation and operational excellence.

Key features:

Perfect for any size wholesaler or retailer of fertiliser.

Create custom blends
Create custom contracts
Seamless inventory management and valuations
Streamlined flutriafol application
Simplified bulk invoicing
Automated time-slotting for hassle free scheduling
Logistics apps for delivery
Integration with Xero for smooth financial operations
Customisable position reports for tailored insights
Competitive customer pricing

Say goodbye to workarounds, manual uploads, and endless spreadsheets!

With AgriChain, you’re empowered to blend as needed while we take care of your stocks, valuations, and invoicing from start to finish.

“Automate Automate Automate” –  This has long been the mantra of the AgriChain ecosystem. As best we can, we try to automate as much as possible. One of the largest inefficiencies we see at our bulk handler sites, flour mills, and feedlots is the way data is captured or entered from a weighbridge.

Most sites have a minimum of one bridge, with some of our sites having as many as three, all of which need to be staffed at various times throughout the year at considerable cost to the business.

This month, with the support of the Ravensworth Feedlot, we have begun our journey towards integrating AgriChain with AutoWeigh.

What is AutoWeigh? AutoWeigh is an exceptionally robust piece of software that has been handling harvest and post-harvest receivals and outturns for a number of large sites in Australia for many years.

It is capable of managing grower receivals, including cashing requirements, as well as post-harvest deliveries and outturns. What makes this really exciting is that when coupled with our automated timeslotting solution, you have an exceptionally well-rounded, fully automated, inbound and outbound platform.

Key Benefits of AutoWeigh:

Reduce Data Errors
Reduce Labor Costs
Increase throughput speed
Reduce customer delivery and outturn errors
Safety – Drivers remain in truck
Scalability – Less staff training

How does it work? With ANPR cameras mounted on the bridge (and a backup touchscreen), the AutoWeigh system simply reads the license plate of the truck as it pulls onto the bridge. Once the bridge settles and all requirements are met, the weight is captured, and the driver is instructed to move off by the traffic lights. The system works across sites that have multiple weigh bridges, allowing trucks to use any bridge on the way in or out to achieve the desired result.

The AutoWeigh module will be available for harvest, and we are taking orders now with the first rollouts locked in for the Ravensworth Feedlot and the team at Agconnex in Griffith NSW.

The Honest Product Guide was published by The Consumer Goods Forum & Futerra in October 2018. Exploring a hot topic in the global economy, the guide brings together industry experts and consumer surveys to discuss how transparency leads to trust in a consumerist culture.

The “newly educated consumers” influenced by “mass education, mass media and massive scandals” are digging deeper into brands and trying to understand the brand’s origins, voice, and purpose. When they find brands/products that resonate with their ideologies, an instant connection is formed that drives them to invest their money and trust in them.

Big or already established brands are being looked at with an investigative lens to uncover a complete list of ingredients that go into the making, “corporate secrets”, and PR stunts that bring the brand to the forefront. Many people are turning to the internet for honest brand reviews or understand brand practices. This is what the guide calls “people power”.

“Information voids” left by companies are being filled by customer reviews and people are actively scouting out for this kind of information on the internet. More and more consumers want to know about the farm their food grew on, usage of synthetic substances, environmental and social friendliness of the supply chain, etc.

The Honest Product Guide expresses the “benefits of being more transparent about social, health, environmental and safety issues” through an intensive consumer-led survey that indicates that “94% of consumers are likely to be loyal to a brand that offers complete transparency”. Transparency leads to increased trust that eventually leads to product preference.

In a world where more and more consumers are looking to build a connection with the brand, transparency seems to be the only plausible solution. Sooner or later, brands will have to succumb to a certain level of transparency with their customers in order to not lose them.

Brands need to provide consumers with the information they need to base their decisions upon, which means that brands first need to map their supply chains to get information about the entire ecosystem. With more and more brands turning to blockchain powered supply chains as their holy grail in the endeavour towards transparency, traceability, sustainability, and safety are soon to follow.

By enabling blockchain supply chain solutions will help your brand gain advantage with your customers by giving them just the information transparency they are looking for, and this is the right time to adopt this technology by being the forerunner, rather than following out of obligation later. It also shows your customers that you are putting them first, thus reinforcing their trust in your brand and giving you time to innovate with it.

AgriChain hence becomes a means to help you achieve your desired customer base and a means for your customers to access the information that other brands lack. It is time to build “honest products that help build a more human connection between the products that people buy and the people who make them.”

Related tags: Farm Planning Software

Food supply and safety are a growing concern in the global economy, especially because of the numerous stakeholders involved in the journey of food from farm to plate. To bring more clarity and cohesiveness to food safety, it is important to effectively integrate the various participants that affect this journey – growers, logistics providers, manufacturers, bulk handlers, brokers, importers, exporters, retailers, and consumers.

AgriChain is a simple-to-use software solution that uses blockchain to connect and transfer information between supply chain stakeholders. A one-of-its-kind platform that facilitates transparent transactions across the most widespread supply chains, AgriChain helps tackle inefficiencies and malpractices by the power of information in the form of a shared record of supply chain data, bringing new clarity to food supply and safety.

A frequently used example of Walmart using blockchain to trace back mangoes is often used to illustrate blockchain’s effectiveness is food safety. It took Walmart more than 6 days to trace mangoes to their original farm, an exercise that took 2.2 seconds with blockchain.

The food industry is responsible for improving food safety by being accountable for the quality of its products and for information provided to the consumer, thus making every activity and transaction in the food supply chain, right from preparing, handling, storing, packaging, distributing to retailing, accountable to follow the basics of food safety ethics.

When a product claims to be ‘organic’, ‘handmade’, ‘eco-friendly’, etc., it is easier for consumers to clarify if the claims are true with the power of blockchain. However, without it, nobody can be held accountable in case of contamination or food-borne diseases. Blockchain ensures provenance of each and every commodity that passes through the supply chain journey and hence makes food labelling easy and accurate. This empowers businesses as well as consumers.

AgriChain seamlessly uses blockchain in supply chain tracking at every stage in the supply chain and validates every product. With AgriChain’s agriculture software solutions, your product can be certified as 100% safe with just a scan of a QR code or label that stores the entire journey of that product, making you a forerunner in food safety ethics and increasing your brand’s preferability among the consumers.

If one consumer finds a fault in a product, the entire history of its making and distribution can be traversed to stop its further distribution and find the root cause of the problem, within a few seconds.

If you wish to increase the trust of your consumers in your brand, blockchain is the way to go about it. It’s time for your business to transition from unnecessary paperwork to digital solutions that lend traceability and trust to your products. AgriChain empowers all the participants of the supply chain to help bring much-needed clarity and security to food supply chains, thus improving food quality for one and all.